[Xenalyte]

(I know it's already been posted, but the thread is locked and I couldn't bump it.)

My lawyer brought this to my attention this morning, and it strikes me as all too prescient. Thoughts, comments, flames, ideas?

[<1/1,000,000th%]

That's why Republics are better. I haven't heard any expiration date on Republics yet. Rome lasted almost 700 years. Lets shoot for that.

[rellimpank]

--the end is near--

[StriperSniper]

From selfishness to apathy; From apathy to dependence;

I think we're in this fuzzy region.

[Lee'sGhost]

Yes, I've seen this before as well and had posed questions that, as far as I know, were never addressed. For one, I don't know of Alexander Fraser Tytler and wondered what bias (perspectives) he brought with such commentary.

I also wondered about the accuracy of his statements, e.g., the average of 200 years. Considering the length of Rome's dominance you could add in a great number of much shorter "reigns" and come up with 200. And then there is the issue of our "republic" vs. the democracy he speaks of. (Or, "of which he speaks," if you're a grammarian.) :-)

But, perhaps more to the point, I often wonder what the saturation point is for the "haves" providing for the "have-nots." In other words, at what point do those not paying taxes outnumber those who pay, setting up a situation where the non-payers can, through political base (sheer numbers) demand anything they want from the payers.

Man, did I come up with all that on a Monday morning? I must be sick.

By the way, I hope that you are having discussions with your lawyer for pleasant/positive reasons.

[Tauzero]

I think we're solidly in the dependence stage. The non-monetary dependence is much greater though than the monetary, and is much more insidious.

[breakem]

"It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury." End of the democrat party as we know it.

[rdb3]

I thought Bastiat made the quote, "It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury."

Maybe it was wording to that effect. Whatever. It's a correct statement whoever said it.

[ODDITHER]

This is often referred to as the pride cycle. There are hundreds of examples of this in the Bible and in history. IF there is one thing for certain, Man does not always learn from his mistakes or from history. History also points out that once the people reach the dependency portion of the cycle, they will not listen to those who try to warn them, in fact those people are considered the real enemy.